Her Perfect Life
by 808abc123
Summary: New Story. I have ADD sorry lol
1. Chapter 1

"Lauren! Wait up!"

The blonde sighed and rolled her eyes slightly as she turned around and gave her best friend a smile. Tamsin pushed through the crowd towards her friend and enveloped her in a huge hug, sort of the status quo for her greeting style.

"Umph...Hi Tamsin."

The taller blonde smiled and put an arm around her as the pair turned and continued walking in the direction Lauren had been heading. Tamsin looked up at the beautiful New York skyline as she sighed happily and gave Lauren a winning smile. "So Counselor, I hear good things about you being whispered over the hub bub of Wall Street."

Lauren laughed and tucked some hair behind her ear as she shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary Tamsin. And where have you been? I've been calling you for weeks."

Tamsin gave her a smirk. "I've been preoccupied."

Lauren raised an eyebrow. "Does preoccupied have a name or should I just call him Mr. Right Now?"

Tamsin laughed and pulled out the latest copy of the Wall Street Journal. "Front page."

Lauren took the paper and shook her head with a smile. He was typical Tamsin material and she knew her friend was probably the only woman who could turn this man's head. The print went on to explain how the heir apparent to a large chain of hotel developers was in New York and she was almost certain it was to visit her best friend.

Since they were in diapers Lauren and Tamsin had been connected at the hips. As much as Lauren was conservative and stuck to the rules Tamsin was wild and pushing them to their boundaries. It was no surprise that when they grew up Lauren went on to become one of the most successful attorneys representing a large number of Fortune 100 companies as a corporate liaison whilst Tamsin had become the head of her own advertising agency and on the short list that was allowed to keep Lauren on retainer for her services.

"So is...Jonathan Flourette...enjoying his time in New York?"

Tamsin laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Well he's enjoying his stay at the hotel that's for sure."

Lauren scoffed and shrugged her best friend's hand off her shoulder. "Don't you get tired of being the flavor of the week?"

Tamsin gave her a hard stare before shrugging. "Who said I'm the flavor of _their_ week? Look Lauren, you and I both know love, happiness and success make up the impossible triangle. Two out of three aint bad and last time I check I was pretty damn happy."

Lauren sighed and stopped at a street vendor to get a cup of coffee. "Yeah but come on Tamsin, this game has to end sometime right?"

Tamsin paid for her own coffee before trotting behind her friend with a smirk on her face. "Like you?"

Lauren stopped and gave her an incredulous look. "Low blow. I cannot believe you went there."

Tamsin shrugged. "What can I say, Nadia was a bitch. Full of herself. It's been over two years Laur...time to move on. Speaking of which I want you to come to dinner with me tonight."

Lauren scoffed at her. "Why?"

Tamsin licked her lips and smiled. "Well Jonathan has a sister…"

Lauren frowned. "No."

Tamsin put her arm on Lauren's shoulder to stop her from turning away. "Hold on. Jeez. Ok look, I'll make you a deal. Come, have dinner, make nice and I'll go with you to that damn opera you've been bugging me about."

Lauren crossed her arms over her chest. "Opera _and_ that new Japanese restaurant. On you."

Tamsin scowled knowing it was useless to argue with literally the best negotiator in the country. "Fine."

Lauren smiled and nodded her head. "Okay. What time and where?"

Tamsin gave her the address of the new hot spot that had opened up a few weeks ago and told her to be there at eight lookin sharp. Lauren shook her head and agreed before turning into her Manhattan office building. Yes, building. When Lauren started her legal services she had intended to become an in-house counsel for a large company figuring this was the most secure way to establish herself. She knew from when she was in law school that she didn't want to be a trial attorney and her strong ethical beliefs pushed her towards corporate law where she found herself not only being able to help many companies out of highly compromising situations. The added bonus was that she was able to sleep at night and the more she threw herself into her work the more successful she would become.

After a year in corporate law however she discovered being the in-house counsel she'd wanted to be wasn't enough for her. She grew bored at the company she was at and left to open her own practice. Within two years she'd made a name for herself and after her fifth year in practice she had a successful little law firm that serviced the top one percent of companies worldwide. She had two partners and three junior partners working for her and she felt that it was time to step her business up. She purchased the old warehouse in the financial district and transformed it into Lewis & Associates which was now at the top of every ranking of law firms both domestically and internationally.

The day flew by quickly and Lauren found herself rushing out of her office at seven o'clock to get across town and make the eight o'clock reservation time. She managed to get there just as Tamsin was walking up to the entrance of the restaurant. Tamsin smiled and linked her arm through Lauren's as she led her inside.

"Okay, quick rundown. Jonathan is the business guy and heir to the company's US based entities. His sister, Evony, runs the European and Asian networks for their company and is bi-coastal spending about half her time here and half her time in London."

Lauren laughed. "Don't you mean bi-country then?"

Tamsin shrugged. "It's right across the pond. Anyway. Oh and she's been single for about six months. Her last fling was some model from France who apparently barely spoke English."

Lauren looked surprised. "Does Evony speak French?"

Tamsin shrugged. "Don't know and don't care. Point is she's single and of your _pedigree_ so give it consideration. Oh there they are."

Tamsin led them over to the table where the siblings were sitting and Lauren inwardly groaned. She took one look at Evony and knew exactly what kind of woman she was. Elite. Upper crust. Snobby. Sure she was beautiful and had exquisite taste in fashion but from what Lauren could see that was about all she was good for. The predatory smile Evony was displaying told Lauren that Tamsin and Jonathan must have planned this little set up and she could only imagine what story Evony got of her.

The one downside to being successful and very very wealthy at a young age was finding someone she could actually fall in love with. There seemed to be an expectation about the type of woman she was seen with and when she thought about it the last two women she had seriously dated fit the profile to a tee. They were beautiful, successful and at the top of their industry which was an appropriate match to the powerful attorney. What they lacked however was any substance and any ability to make Lauren feel like more than a name and a person to whose arm they wanted to be on. As far as power couples go Lauren knew she could have her pick of the ladies but this though seemed to annoy her most days which is why she kept herself out of the dating game as much as possible. She'd sort of given up on romance and knew this was a result of her choice of careers.

The two blondes approached the table and Jonathan gave Tamsin a warm hug before introducing her to Evony. Tamsin and Evony exchanged pleasantries before Tamsin turned to Lauren and introduced her to Evony and Jonathan in turn. Lauren took a good look at Jonathan and she smiled as he seemed to be genuinely down to earth and had an obvious interest in her best friend who also seemed to tune out the rest of the world while in the presence of her latest man crush.

"So Lauren, Jonathan tells me you're an attorney."

Lauren gave her a tight smile and nodded. "Yes, corporate law."

Evony took a sip of her water and nodded. "Interesting, what firm? I'm sure I would have heard of it."

Lauren did everything she could not to actually get up and leave at Evony's attitude. She was correct about all of her assumptions and she knew this line of questioning was a test to see if she would be worth Evony's time. Lauren sighed and sat back in her chair barely trying to hide her boredom. "Lewis & Associates."

Evony raised an eyebrow. "The exclusive law firm? I've heard of them. Seems no one can get on their client list."

Lauren gave her an amused smirk. It was rare for her to meet anyone in business that hadn't heard of her firm and moreso know who she was before she even opened her mouth. But then again she figured Evony was the type of woman who couldn't be bothered with the little details. "Flourette Enterprises shopping around? I'll put in a word with the partners."

Evony scoffed. "Have some pull there? I'm surprised, you seem too young to get those old goats at the top to listen."

Lauren rolled her eyes. It was one thing for Evony to be oblivious to her success which she felt an odd sense of annoyance at but it was another for Evony to downright demean her slightly as if she was nothing more than the average joe her brother was trying to set her up with. "Those old goats will listen."

Evony raised an eyebrow. "Confident."

Lauren gave her a victorious smirk. Normally she's not this passive aggressive but she felt it was warranted given Evony's initial high nosed treatment towards her. With a sip of water she replied in a flat voice, "Owner."

"Good evening, my name is Bo and I will be your head server this evening. May I offer any suggestions on our wine list or answer any questions about the menu?"

Evony scowled at Lauren and waved her hand at the voice. She didn't appreciate being mocked and she knew that was exactly what Lauren was doing. So what if she owned her little law firm, Evony and her company were worth billions and she was going to make sure Ms. Lauren Lewis understood that. "We'll take a bottle of Moet and will call you when we need you."

Lauren bit her tongue as she glanced up at the server who was standing there with a patient smile on her face despite Evony's comment. Now given the fact that Lauren had literally seen her share of the most beautiful women in the country she was surprised to find herself almost blushing at the young woman standing in front of the table. The girl was also a brunette but she had a soft glow about her that Lauren felt drawn to for some reason and she immediately felt a need to smooth over the rude treatment of the brunette sitting across from her so she gave the server a gentle smile and a nod of her head. "Thank you."

The brunette gave Lauren a warm smile and turned to nod at Evony. "Absolutely. Take your time and welcome to Mariano's."

Lauren found herself watching the server walk away and had to blink slightly before turning back to the table noticing they were all in candid conversation. Tamsin glanced over at her with a look that clearly said 'wtf' and Lauren just shrugged before turning to Jonathan and Evony with a smile.

"So Jonathan, Tamsin tells me you're spending a few months here in New York."

Jonathan gave her a warm smile and nodded as he took Tamsin's hand. "We're in discussion with a few hotels to do some upgrade work and as an added bonus I get to spend time with your friend here."

Tamsin made a happy noise and smiled at Lauren pointedly. "And, Evony will be here with him before heading back to London."

Lauren nodded and gave Evony a polite smile before kicking Tamsin under the table. She was over this set up and the meal hadn't even begin which told her it was going to be a very long evening. With as much patience as she could muster she addressed the woman across from her who was barely trying to hide her boredom at the situation. "Have you been enjoying your time here?"

Evony rolled her eyes and sat up in her chair slightly. "New York is so last season. Culturally and otherwise I'd take Paris over this city any day."

Lauren couldn't help herself as she rolled her own eyes in return. She had a feeling no matter what she said from this point forward that Evony was going to have some kind of snobbish remark to interject so she figured offering a peace gesture was the best thing to do. "Well I hope you manage to find some culture in this city before you leave."

Evony gave Lauren an amused look. "Offering to be a tour guide?"

Lauren opened her mouth to answer but was saved by the server, Bo, returning to the table with the champagne. There was no way in hell Lauren was going to be Evony's tour guide and she was thankful for the distraction because she wasn't sure what was going to come out of her mouth at that instant. The other reason she was thankful for the distraction was that she got to take another look at the waitress and she was now certain she had never seen anyone more beautiful and she wondered if it would be odd to ask for her phone number after the meal was over.

Wait what?

Lauren didn't do things like that and she was certain she was under some kind of spell so instead she just sat and watched Bo do her thing with the champagne. She silently poured the bubbly and Lauren gave her a bright smile thankful for the interruption. Evony noticed the look Lauren gave the waitress and rolled her eyes that the blonde would even give the help a second look.

"So Bridget was it? What are the specials? Or do I need to walk you through every step of this meal?"

Jonathan gave his sister an annoyed look while Tamsin and Lauren exchanged glances before sighing and hoping this brunette could handle herself against the wrath that Evony appeared to have. To her credit Bo held her temper in check but did raise her eyebrows in surprise before putting a fake smile on her face and going through tonight's menu selection and answering Evony's laundry list of questions about the food.

The more Evony seemed to grill the brunette the more Lauren wanted to strangle her. She considered interjecting when Evony was on her eighth question about the soup but Tamsin put her hand on Lauren's arm to stop her. Bo just patiently smiled and handled each of Evony's questions with a quiet grace that Lauren was finding more and more interesting the longer she spoke. The other thing she noticed was the more Bo answered Evony's questions the more annoyed the socialite seemed to get. It was as if her questioning was supposed to bother the server but the display of patience and courteousness only seemed to infuriate instead of impress. Evony that is. Lauren was impressed beyond belief and by the end of what she considered one of the longest meals of her life she found herself needing to have her own conversation with this Bo woman.

The night finally wound down and although the food was excellent the company left much to be desired and when Lauren wasn't letting her curiosity about the server cloud her head she found herself thinking how much Tamsin owed her for having to endure this torture. The bill finally came and Jonathan handled it like a gentleman before leading the three ladies outside into the crisp New York night air. Lauren wanted to pull Tamsin aside and let her have it for trying to set her up but she could tell her best friend wasn't ready for her date night to end. So, instead Lauren thanked Jonathan for dinner and barely said goodnight to Evony before promising to call Tamsin in the morning. Evony's driver showed up at that moment and the trio wished Lauren goodnight as they climbed into the Rolls Royce. Lauren couldn't hold back the eye roll at the flashy and gaudy car that Evony had and she shook her head as she took a deep breath letting the cold air sink in. She decided to walk around a little before heading home and soon found herself turning to walk down the street.

"Wait! Miss."

Bo was rushing out of the restaurant holding Tamsin's coat which had been hung up while they were eating their meal. Bo skidded to an awkward halt in front of Lauren looking around for the rest of the group. Breathlessly she gave Lauren a shy smile. "I'm sorry but I think your friend left her coat."

Lauren accepted it and nodded. "Thank you, I'm sure she'll be looking for it later. "

Bo laughed and nodded which surprisingly caught Lauren's attention and made her return a smile of her own. "Prada button down? Yeah I'd be searching all over for it as well. Anyway, glad I caught you so you can return it to her."

Lauren patted it lightly. "Thank you again, she will appreciate it."

The pair stood there sort of smiling at each other before Bo glanced at her watch. "Uh, I don't know if this is weird or not, but can I buy you a drink?"

For being the polished attorney Lauren was she found herself speechless at the simple request. Unfortunately though, Bo took this as rejection and felt a slight blush creep over her cheeks. "Uh right, sorry. It's ok forget I asked. Have a good night."

She turned to walk back into the restaurant when Lauren finally found her voice just in the nick of time. "Yes."

Bo stopped and looked back at her with a curious smile. "Yes what?"

Lauren motioned awkwardly between them. "Drink?"

She was mentally kicking herself for not being able to formulate a coherent thought and she was now certain Bo must be wondering if she was a complete weirdo. Bo being Bo however just smiled and winked. "Okay, drink it is. Let me just grab my own coat. It's not Prada but its functional. Give me about five minutes?"

Lauren nodded and Bo slipped back into the restaurant quickly. As soon as she was out of sight Lauren felt a slight panic creep up her neck and into her brain. She hadn't quite thought this all the way through and she had no idea how to handle herself on this...whatever this was. Lauren found herself wondering exactly what they would talk about then just as quickly she mentally kicked herself for being so snobbish. She felt like a fool as she realized they were just two people who were going to get a drink to get to know each other so it should be fine right?

"Okay, let's get you out of this cold."

Bo had reappeared at some point and Lauren was praying that she hadn't been mumbling to herself as she sometimes did. If she was acting strange Bo didn't seem to mind or care however as she led them down the busy street into the cool night air. It wasn't quite snow weather yet in Manhattan but Lauren knew it would be coming soon enough. She did her best to sneak glances at the woman walking next to her with a calm smile on her face and Lauren wondered if she should just stop them so she could give her a once over. It was a weird thing to do but when Lauren got nervous she lost the ability to act rationally which was just one of the many reasons she was so thankful she hardly ever got nervous.

"In here…"

Bo pushed open a door and Lauren glanced up wondering where they were. She realized they'd wandered off the main streets and had been walking down a quiet side street that she'd never heard of. There was no sign above the door and Lauren wondered how Bo knew where they were. Now normally Lauren wouldn't wander off with a stranger she'd just met and let them take her wherever they wanted but she found herself trusting Bo immediately and she was glad she did as she stepped out of the cold and into the little tavern.

Tavern? Who knew the bustling city of New York still had legitimate taverns.

Anyway, Bo removed her coat and helped Lauren with hers before taking the two coats and Tamsin's that Lauren had been holding and setting them down in a booth before motioning for Lauren to slide in. Bo took the seat across from her and gave her a warm smile as a young man approached the table holding a pitcher of beer and two glasses.

"Bo! It's been a while, I was starting to wonder if you forgot about us since you started working at that posh upper crust shithole."

Bo laughed loudly and shook her head and Lauren gave him a strange look before noticing his amused smile as he set the beer and glasses down on the table. He had obviously picked out that Lauren was a guest of the restaurant Bo worked at and was having fun at her expense. Ha frickin ha.

Lauren tried to smile but Bo stepped in before things got awkward immediately feeling Lauren's uncomfortableness at the situation. "Yeah well it's hard to forget you D man. Dyson, this is Lauren. Lauren, this is Dyson."

He gave her a mock bow and nodded. "Pleasure. It's not often Bo brings friends with her so please excuse the crassness m'lady."

Bo not so subtly kicked him as Lauren pursed her lips slightly not liking the vibes this Dyson person was giving off. However, being the professional she just nodded and gave him a small smile in return. "Nice to meet you Dyson."

Bo sighed and rolled her eyes slightly. "Okay introductions done now go away."

Dyson laughed and nodded as he patted the table before walking off and giving Bo a look that Lauren couldn't quite read. She returned the look and Lauren was certain they were having some kind of silent conversation, probably about her, so she just waited patiently until Bo turned back and took a small breath before giving her a bright smile. "Sorry about that. He's an old friend who likes to act like he's my keeper sometimes."

Lauren nodded knowing the type of friend Bo was describing. Tamsin was as close to that as she had in her life and it almost made her smile that Bo had someone like that in her life also. It was a good thing in her opinion as it showed he cared for her but Lauren had to wonder where that line of caring and perhaps romantic interest blended. Bo just cleared her throat a little as she poured them both a glass of beer and sipped hers quietly. Lauren took this opportunity to look around the small tavern and she felt a homey warmth that she hadn't felt in this cold city in a while and she couldn't help the goofy smile that graced her features.

"What?"

Bo was giving her a curious smile and Lauren blushed a little at the amusement in Bo's eyes. She motioned around them and shrugged. "This place. It's interesting."

Bo nodded and looked around at the small room with a smile. "It used to be my second home. When I moved to New York I didn't have anything and the owner kind of took me in. Gave me a job and a place to stay and now he can't get rid of me."

Lauren laughed and nodded. Honestly Lauren's living room in her penthouse apartment was probably bigger than this bar but she didn't care. It was quiet and cozy and quickly becoming somewhere she'd like to return to. She glanced over at the little bar area and gave Bo a cautious look as if she wasn't sure she could ask her questions. "Is Dyson the owner?"

Lauren wasn't sure what would make her feel better, if Bo said yes or if she said no but either way she was curious. Bo laughed heartily and Lauren found herself once again blushing at the reaction. Bo shook her head and gave Lauren a softer smile. "No, most definitely not."

Lauren nodded and sipped her beer slowly wondering what kind it was and hoping she didn't get sick since she's had beer maybe twice in her entire life. Lauren found herself wondering about what Bo's life was like before she moved to the city but she wasn't sure how to ask it without it sounding like an interrogation so she just smiled and let Bo lead the conversation.

"So, Lauren Lewis. Lawyer, owner of Lewis & Associates tell me about yourself."

Bo laughed at Lauren's shocked face and she put her hand up to silence the blonde who was giving her a cautious stare. "Relax Lauren, I overheard at the restaurant is all. It's quiet in there so you'd be surprised what kind of shit we hear on a daily basis."

Lauren nodded and gave Bo an apprehensive smile as she cleared her throat. "Well, what would you like to know?"

Bo looked thoughtful and Lauren could literally see her shuffling through questions in her head. Any concern that Lauren might have had about the brunette went out the window as she noticed how cute Bo was when she was concentrating. Finally Bo seemed to land on a suitable question and nodded. "Where are you from? Why New York? Why did you say yes to drinks?"

Lauren paused as she let the questions sink in and smiled as she sat back in the old worn out booth and played with her beer glass. "From California originally, New York because it was as far away from home I could get and honestly I'm not sure."

Bo nodded and paused before shrugging. "Well rest assured I'm not crazy."

Lauren smirked a little. "That remains to be seen."

Bo laughed and nodded. "Indeed counselor. So, what questions do you have for me? There must be a million."

Lauren looked thoughtful before looking at Bo with a smile. "Where are you from? Why New York? Why did you ask me out?"

Bo laughed again and Lauren felt herself relax at the easy way things seemed to flow between them. Bo took a sip of her beer and nodded her head. "From Ohio originally, New York because it's always been the dream and honestly I'm not sure."

The teasing smirk told Lauren that she was kidding and Lauren nodded her head in return. "Well rest assured I'm not crazy."

The pair shared a laugh and Bo nodded. "Somehow I believe that. So, counselor, you going to see the brunette again?"

Lauren looked confused and Bo shrugged slightly. "The one at dinner with you."

Lauren visibly shivered and shook her head no. "No. Most definitely not."

Bo laughed and nodded. "Then I know for certain you aren't crazy."

Lauren nodded and gave Bo a sad smile. "I'm sorry for the way she treated you."

Bo shrugged as if it was no big deal. "I've dealt with worse before and I'll deal with worse again. No harm done here."

Lauren sighed as she picked at the napkin in her hand. "It was rude. Period."

Bo laughed and shook her head. "To what, be demanding to the help? Relax Lauren. I don't take that kind of thing personally and you certainly should not be apologizing for that bitch. Seriously."

Lauren nodded sheepishly and gave her a small smile. She'd never met anyone with Bo's easygoing and unassuming personality. Everyone in Lauren's life had an agenda and kept careful count of who were their friends and who were their enemies and it almost made Lauren jealous to see Bo live so freely. She didn't have to worry about who she pissed off by the decisions she made and Lauren found herself envying that very much. "Okay. But next time you see her feel free to put her in her place."

Bo laughed and nodded. "Deal. So, now that you've seen my little slice of heaven would it be too much to ask if you'd like to go to dinner sometime? I mean I don't think I can afford anything like that place but I guarantee you a good time."

Lauren opened her mouth and shut it awkwardly as she looked at Bo curiously. Did Bo assume she was one of those girls who had to live a certain lifestyle? True, up til this point she had lived that certain lifestyle but maybe it was time for her to get past all the expectations and just do what she wanted to do for herself. She smiled and nodded and gave Bo a quiet smile. "I'd like that."

Bo nodded and gave her a big smile. "Great."

Lauren laughed and nodded. "Great."

The pair shared a smile and finished their beers as they chatted about everything and nothing all at once. Lauren found herself getting lost in the conversation and for the first time in a long time not caring about how much time went by or thinking about work or anything related to it. She was here, in the moment and finding herself having a great time with a woman who she met that night. Strange and out of character for her but she didn't care. She was doing this for her and she was going to enjoy it.


	2. Chapter 2 - Part 1

CHAPTER 2 - PART 1

RING RING RING

"Why hello there gorgeous."

Lauren rolled her eyes as she walked down the street clutching her phone to her ear for dear life. "Tamsin. Not now. I need help."

Tamsin laughed and sat up a little shooing her assistants out of her office. She shut the door and the resumed her place at her large desk and looked out the floor to ceiling windows of her office. It was rare for Lauren to call her in the middle of the day and especially rare for her to be in this kind of frenzy so she knew whatever she was going to say was going to be good. Leaning back she kicked her feet up on her desk and smirked. "Ok Dr. Tamsin in the house. What's up sweets?"

Lauren sighed and entered the lobby area of her building. The doorman nodded and smiled at her as she made her way through the lobby and up to the elevator en route to her penthouse. "I have a date."

Tamsin choked on the coffee she had sipped and sat up slightly. To most normal people this was no big deal but considering this was Lauren Lewis aka the most eligible woman in the country who really didn't care about dating this was news of monstrous proportion. "What?"

Lauren chuckled a little as she unlocked her door. She knew she was blind siding her best friend but she needed help. ASAP. "I have a date."

Tamsin smiled even though Lauren couldn't see her. She heard a twinge of excitement mixed with the slight panic in Lauren's voice so she was immediately interested. Shaking her head slightly she narrowed her eyes even though once again she knew her friend couldn't see her. "With Evony? I thought we hated her?"

Lauren laughed loudly as she set her things down on the table in the foyer of her apartment. It was the end of a long, long day and she was happy to be home. "No, not with her. Never ever with her."

Tamsin sat up a little and drummed her fingers on her desk in annoyance. She had little patience with most things in life and in this case her patience was almost nonexistent. "With who then?"

Lauren flopped down on her plush oversized couch and rubbed her forehead in exhaustion. "Remember the server at the restaurant…"

Tamsin laughed loudly and leaned back in her chair. "Shut up. Okay, I will give you style points Ms. Lewis that lady was smokin hot. But wait, how exactly did this happen?"

Lauren put her feet up on her ottoman and smiled as she cradled the phone on her shoulder. "Well you left your coat at the restaurant and she caught me on the way out to give it to me."

Tamsin smirked. "That's where it went. I thought I left it at Jonathans."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Can we focus on my panic attack here?"

Tamsin laughed and sat up straighter and took her glasses off in dramatic fashion. She didn't really need them and Lauren always told her that by wearing them when she didn't need the prescription was bad for her eyes but she didn't care. They made her look more 'professional' so she kept them around for big meetings. Anyway, she set them down and put her ear piece in before setting her phone down on her desk. Standing up she began pacing in front of the window, something she did when she was in deep thought.

"Okay Lauren, you have my full attention."

Lauren smiled knowing the other blonde was probably pacing in front of the large windows of her office. She picked at some invisible lint on the pillow next to her and smiled. "Okay good. Well after she gave me the coat she invited me for a drink and I went and we went to this cute little tavern, I met one of her friends who I can't decide if hates me or just really wants to sleep with her and finally I drank about a pitcher of beer and now I feel bloated."

Tamsin had been nodding along as Lauren was talking and when she was done Tamsin took a breath and nodded one final time. "Okay, I have questions counselor. One, is my coat okay? Two, did you really say tavern? And three, why are you freaking out because it sounds totally normal."

Lauren sighed. "Yes, yes and I'm not sure."

Tamsin smiled and thought about how unusual it was for Lauren to be in this state of near panic. "Okay, well I still don't understand the problem here Laur. Sounds like hot girl had her eye on you and took a chance. Luckily for her you didn't let your ginormous brain get in the way and just went with the flow so why not keep flowing?"

Lauren sighed again. "Because Tamsin I don't know how to do this."

Tamsin let a confused look wash over her face. "Do what?"

Lauren continued picking at the lint as she frowned. "Date."

Tamsin put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "Okay well since I know you have had at least two serious relationships before I must object."

Lauren laughed and shook her head. "Tamsin, we can't count those...shall we say experiences...and you know it."

Tamsin snorted. "Uh yes we can. You met those lovely ladies, there was a courtship and some kind of romantical interaction. Boom. Counted."

Lauren felt the weight lift off her shoulders a little at the fact that Tamsin was taking her freak out seriously but not taking her too seriously and thereby making her feel stupid. She raised an eyebrow. "Romantical?"

Tamsin nodded. "Technical term. Look it up. Anyway, don't deter from the issue at hand. Point is you know how to do the dating thing just fine."

Lauren shrugged. "I know how to do the dating thing with superficial snobs who just want to be in the 'right relationship' to further themselves."

Tamsin snorted. "So changing your mind about Evony then are we?"

Lauren shuddered yet again. "No. My point is Bo isn't like those women. She's down to earth and smart and funny and…"

Tamsin smirked. "And she makes you all googly."

Lauren sighed and stood up and moved over to the wet bar in her living room. She poured herself a glass of wine and leaned on the counter in frustration. "She's...she's real Tamsin. And I don't want to screw this up."

Tamsin fiddled with her glasses a little as she sighed quietly. "Don't you think you're being a little hard on yourself Lauren? I mean you just met this girl and it sounds like you guys hit it off so take things slow and see what happens."

Lauren bit her lip and frowned. "And what if she isn't interested?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Then she is certifiably crazy. Look. Let's examine the evidence shall we? Two consenting, single, attractive, smart, funny and I'm going to guess quasi dorky women met and there was a moment of...something. Logic tells us the next step is to have another rendezvous and see if that something turns into...well something. It is at this point that the something will turn into an actual thing. Should this happen then this conversation albeit interesting becomes a moot point. Thoughts?"

Lauren laughed and sipped her wine. "Aside from the fact that that was the worst logical argument ever I do see your point. I'm freaking out. Okay. I get that."

Tamsin nodded. "Good. Now, tell me more about her."

Lauren felt a warm glow spread through her body and she played with the rim of her glass absentmindedly. "Here's the thing Tamsin. She's...different…"

Tamsin put her hands on her hips again and frowned as she stared out the window. "Lauren Elizabeth Lewis if you tell me this is a problem because she's a waitress so help me I will come over there and kick your scrawny little ass right now."

Lauren looked at her phone before putting it back to her ear slowly. "Tamsin. First of all you know none of that matters to me and second of all if you ever talk to me like that again...you...you don't even want to know what will happen."

Tamsin smiled and nodded her approval at Lauren's tone of voice. "Okay. Now that we got that straightened out. What do you mean by different?"

Lauren took a sip of her wine and though quietly. "I can't explain it. But she's got something Tamsin. Something different."

Tamsin smiled. "So when do I get to meet her?"

Lauren laughed. "Why don't you let me have the actual date with her then you can cross examine."

Tamsin crossed her arms and smiled. "Never did that one before."

Lauren burst out in loud laughter and dumped the rest of her wine into the sink. "Somehow I'm glad to hear that. Okay Tamsin, thank you for listening and please get out of your office and go home."

Tamsin raised an eyebrow as she sat back down at her computer. "Jonathan has a dinner appointment then I'm meeting him for drinks after. I'll get out of here soon enough."

Lauren nodded and shut off the lights as she walked through her pristine apartment. "Well go have fun. And Tamsin…"

The taller blonde made a noise as she clicked a few keys on her keyboard to pull up her email. Lauren could hear the background noise so she knew Tamsin had already reverted back to work mode. Say what you want about the animated and slightly crazy blonde but she was the hardest worker Lauren had ever met. "Thanks Tamsin. For listening. And letting me freak out."

Tamsin nodded and skimmed her email. "That's what I'm here for. Okay, go on sugar plum I need to kick my assistant's ass."

Lauren laughed and shook her head. "Good luck to your assistant. Go easy on her."

Tamsin let out a frustrated sigh. "I would if she had any substance between her ears. Okay I really need to go. Let's do drinks this weekend."

Lauren smiled. "Deal. Goodnight Tamsin."

They hung up and Lauren smiled as she threw her phone on her bedside table and flopped down on her bed. She still felt nervous about her upcoming date with Bo but her talk with Tamsin had managed to calm her nerves a little bit. At the end of the day her best friend was right and she had to just chill out and go with the flow. Until then, she would rest and focus on work and hope that Friday night got there sooner rather than later.


	3. Chapter 2 - Part 2

CHAPTER 2 part 2

"No Dyson…"

He laughed and shook his head as he handed Bo another glass to dry. It was Thursday afternoon and he had asked Bo to stop by and help him with some chores at the bar since his normal bartender called in sick. She wasn't working that day so she had stopped by a few hours ago and the two of them had been spending the time catching up and making progress on the chores he had to finish before they hit the after dinner rush. "Come on Bo, when have you turned down a night at Hale's?"

She glanced over at him as she wiped the glass down absentmindedly and shrugged. "I'm busy."

Dyson set down the glass he was wiping and turned his full attention to his best friend. A small smile creeped over his face and he nodded knowingly. "Busy…"

Bo raised an eyebrow and nodded in his direction. She knew he was waiting for her to dish whatever juicy dirt he thought she had but she didn't see the need to fuel the fire any. "Busy."

Dyson leaned on the counter of the small little bar area and gave her a thoughtful look. "Does busy happen to involve the pretty blonde you brought in here the other night?"

Bo smiled and shrugged again as if to say 'no big deal.' She knew she was being a little vague but she didn't feel the need to involve Dyson in every aspect of her life. Sure, they were best friends and the closest thing she had to family in this huge city but sometimes she wasn't sure if his intentions were purely friendly or if he was doing the whole waiting on the wings for her to realize her love for him type thing. Although given her track record with dating she was pretty sure he got the message that she was only interested in female romantic partners. "If you must know Mr. Nosy yes, it does. We're going out tomorrow. It's no big deal."

Dyson gave her a bright smile and nodded. "I'm glad. She seemed nice enough and the fact that she didn't go screaming for the hills when you brought her in here is a plus in my book."

Bo smirked and shook her head as she set the glass down on the counter. "Yes, because it was my litmus test to see if someone like her could handle spending time with us common folk."

Dyson frowned and sighed as he walked behind the bar to grab them both a cold beer. He popped the cap on one and slid it over to her as he leaned against the inside of the bar in true bartender fashion. "Bo. Get over it. You and I both know you don't do the chip on your shoulder thing very well."

Bo sipped her beer and sighed as she leaned on the seat next to her half sitting half standing next to it. "I'm not doing the chip on my shoulder thing Dyson. I'm saying I'm not getting overly excited over nothing."

Dyson looked at her quietly and tried to figure out what was going on in her head. She was normally a little more animated when talking about the girls she was dating so this was a bit of an enigma to him. "Is it the money thing?"

Bo shook her head and took a big sip of her beer. She knew there was absolutely no way the money thing was an issue for either of them or Lauren wouldn't have given her the time of day. Truthfully she didn't know why she was so ambivalent about her upcoming date. She had a great time with Lauren that night and they had a lot more in common than she'd first thought so she knew they wouldn't have any trouble getting along.

"No D, it's not the money thing. I don't know. I mean I think you're making a bigger deal about this than I am for once." She gave him a smile and shrugged again. "I'm just saying we're going out and we'll have a good time so why get all wound up over it?"

Dyson laughed loudly and shook his head at her. "Wait, is this Bo Dennis trying to play it cool? It's okay Bo you're in a safe place. If you want to get all excited that's okay."

Bo laughed and swatted him with the towel on the bar. "I think you're the one acting like the teenage girl here."

Dyson gave her a knowing look and shrugged. "I'm just saying Lauren seemed nice enough and it's about time you got back on the horse so what's the problem?"

After being friends with Bo for the last few years and seeing her failed attempts at relationships he thought it was time for her to get back in the dating pool. As far as girls went Bo didn't really have a 'type' so he never compared one to the next but he genuinely liked Lauren at least from the first meeting and he hoped this one would stick. He felt for Bo every time either she ended her short term relationship because she was bored or she got dumped because the girl decided they wanted an upgrade from the brunette sitting across the bar from him. If you ever asked Dyson he would deny it but deep down he thought Bo deserved a good girl in her life and he'd even offered to help her find someone which was quickly shot down with a swift smack to his head from the brunette. She didn't like him meddling in her romantic life too much so he did what he could from the sideline and tried to be as good a friend as she needed.

Bo sighed and leaned back in the chair quietly. She picked at the label on her beer and shrugged yet again. She knew he was right and for the life of her she didn't know why she was being like this. She gave him a small smile and nodded. "You're right and I am looking forward to it. Just for the record."

Dyson nodded and smiled as he finished off his beer. "Well don't sound too excited. But I'm happy for you Bo. Really."

She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Thanks Dyson. And thanks for listening."

He nodded and moved back around the bar to finish drying the glasses that were stacked on the bartop. He was a little worried that his friend seemed so calm about this date but he had a feeling it meant she was more interested than she was letting on. If Bo wanted to play it cool then he would be okay with that for now but he hoped sooner rather than later Bo would snap out of it.

xxx

Friday night rolled around sooner than Lauren was ready for and at five o'clock she found herself flying across town to get home and change for their date. She had spoken to Bo a few times in the last few days and finally had agreed to meet at a small cafe not far from where they had first met. Lauren didn't want to seem overly anxious or what not so she wanted to make sure her outfit was the right combination of comfortable and appealing. She wasn't quite going for sexy because honestly she didn't have the slightest idea what that would look like on her but she knew enough to know what articles of clothing were more appreciated than others.

After making it home in record time and getting ready faster than she ever had in her life she was out the door at six thirty and would comfortably arrive just before seven thirty when she was supposed to meet Bo. A quick phone call to Tamsin calmed her fears a little as her best friend confirmed her outfit was appropriate for her date and with a last glance in the mirror she was out the door hoping it went well tonight. The cab pulled up in front of the cafe at seven twenty five and Lauren got out trying to not make it obvious she was looking around for the brunette.

"Lauren."

The blonde turned around and felt a big smile cross her face as she saw Bo walking down the street towards her. She took a look at Bo's outfit and started laughing as she looked down at her own attire. Bo had closed the gap between them and she gave Lauren an odd look as the blonde chuckled. "Everything okay?"

Lauren smiled sheepishly and motioned between them. "Great minds?"

Bo looked down at her dark blue jeans, black tank top and black leather jacket then over at Lauren's similar outfit with the exception of brown instead of black for the leather choice and smiled. She shrugged and nodded. "Must be."

Lauren fidgeted slightly and nodded. "Must be the downside of two women dating."

Bo looked surprised and raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "How's that?"

Lauren wanted to smack herself and did her best to relax as she tried to sound nonchalant. "Similar wardrobe. Haha. Anyway, start over?"

Bo gave her a warm smile and nodded as she took a step back then forward like she was just approaching. "Hi Lauren. Glad you found this place. And you look great."

Lauren blushed slightly not knowing why the little things were having this effect on her as she tucked some hair behind her ear and returned the warm smile to Bo. "Thank you. And you look great too."

Bo laughed and nodded as she guided them to the little cafe. She held the door for Lauren and ushered her in gently. "I hope you're hungry. This place has the best apple pie."

Lauren felt a glow spread over her body as she stepped into the cozy cafe and followed the waitress to a little booth in the back corner of the restaurant. It was a fairly simple establishment, somewhere Lauren could see herself having lunch on a busy day when she just wanted to escape the hum drum of the business world for a few hours. She took the seat across Bo and the waitress dropped menu's with them and said she'd give them a few minutes before she came back to take their order.

Bo watched Lauren look at the menu and she smiled as Lauren's eyes seemed to light up at some of the food choices. Lauren felt she was being watched and she looked up slowly to see Bo giving her a small smile. Lauren set the menu down and looked at her with a smile on her own features as she folded her hands in her lap quietly. "This place is great."

Bo looked around and smiled before turning back to Lauren with a nod. "This place has the most amazing food. I stumbled across it one day and now I try to come here at least once a month it's so good."

Lauren smiled and nodded as she motioned to the menu. "So what do you suggest?"

Bo laughed and opened her own menu although she was pretty sure she knew it by heart. "Everything. My current favorite is the chicken pot pie. And of course a milkshake to wash it down."

Lauren laughed a little louder than she meant to and blushed again in embarrassment. It was adorable to see Bo get so excited about the cafe and Lauren could feel herself sharing the excitement. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting tonight but it surely wasn't pot pie's and milkshakes. She was surprisingly giddy about the choice and she was glad they weren't getting sloshed over dinner as she'd like to actually remember tonight.

The waitress returned and Lauren followed Bo's lead and ordered the pot pie and a vanilla milkshake while Bo ordered her usual chocolate one. The waitress took down their order and left to put the order in. When she walked away Bo turned to Lauren with a smile. "So, how was your week?"

Lauren shrugged as she settled into the worn out booth. "Busy. One would think with the holidays coming up things would settle down but apparently everyone feels the need to stir up trouble before the end of the year. How about you? How are things at the restaurant?"

Bo smiled and leaned forward a bit to get comfortable. "Things are good. We're getting a lot more busy which is good because sometimes it gets boring in there."

They shared a laugh and nodded at the blase comment Bo made about the trendy new restaurant. Lauren nodded and played with her napkin a bit. "I can imagine. So how did you end up working there? Tell me about the dream that brought you to New York."

Bo laughed a little at Lauren's eager smile and she nodded as she took a breath to tell her story. She didn't think it was overly interesting but she told Lauren how she had grown up in the small town outside of Cleveland and how she'd done her undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago. They shared stories of college life and Bo though it was cute how animated Lauren got when reliving some of her more hellish college experiences. Lauren had some interesting stories and the pair shared a few horrific and funny stories of their own collegiate experiences making them both appreciate how the other got to where they are today. It was through these stories that they began to understand each other a little and Lauren could feel herself falling more and more into the moment and not wanting it to end so long as Bo was there with her. She wasn't like anyone Lauren had ever met before and she wanted to spend every second of the day talking to her and getting to know her better.

From there Bo told Lauren how she'd thought she wanted to become a doctor but after a semester in medical school she quickly discovered it wasn't what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. So, instead she breezed over it and said it wasn't for her and moved on to tell Lauren how she felt the need to be in New York and how after a blowout with her family she decided to do this on her own. She came out here and the rest is history until they met a few nights ago. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to be doing but when she found it she would know. Until then she would enjoy herself and her time with her friends and her city. It was enough for her and she was happy living the life she wanted.

The milkshakes had come at some point in their conversation and Bo had stopped them to make sure Lauren got to enjoy the creamy goodness. She smiled proudly as Lauren raved at how good the milkshake was and how she definitely understood why Bo came back there time and time again. Bo was happy that Lauren was happy and she was glad she'd chosen to bring Lauren here. It was a nice little place for her to escape to at times and it was the first place she thought of sharing with the blonde.

"So, Lauren, you now know my life story. Tell me yours. How did the California girl end up a New Yorker?"

Lauren smiled and rolled her eyes some as she slurped up the rest of her milkshake making Bo laugh out loud at the happy expression on her face. Lauren pushed the now empty glass away from her and leaned back with a smile. "Well, lets see at a young age my father told me I would be a lawyer like he and my brother were and since I was in diapers I think I was being groomed for this life."

Bo smiled and nodded. "Well it doesn't seem like it turned out too badly for you though right?"

Lauren shrugged. "I sometimes wonder what things would be like if I went another direction. But no, I have no complaints about how my life ended up."

Bo and Lauren shared a laugh as the food arrived and Lauren motioned to the delicious smelling meal. "After all I wouldn't be here if it did right?"

Bo laughed and nodded. "That's right."

Lauren nodded and they both dug into the food. The night was flowing easily so far and both parties were happy about how things were going. It was a simple meal with simple conversation and Lauren couldn't have asked for a better start to their night out. Bo was equally as happy about how things were going and she found herself more relaxed than she'd been on a date in a long time. After dinner they shared a piece of the notorious apple pie and Lauren about died at how good the dessert was. She raved about it for a few minutes causing Bo to dissolve in a bit of a giggle fit at how dorky yet cute Lauren was being. They finally finished the meal and after a slight tussle Bo ended up paying the check and guided them out of the cafe and into a cab. It had been a long time since Bo had this good of a time and she knew it was time for her to really see what they could become.


End file.
